Brick-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H; E. LONG. BRICK MACHINE. No. 428,173. Patented May 20, 1890.

. Fig.1.

WITNESSES: uvmvron (No Model.) 3 Sh'eetsSheet 2.

- H.v E. LONG.

BRICK MACHINE. No. 428,173. Patented MayZO, 1890.

- WITNESSES: I I Ill/MENTOR glggzgb wwzy 7 lfl m: MINUS-PETERS cm,woicvumm, WISHINUTON, a e.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

d Maj-ZO, 1890.

A Tron/m5 H. E. LONG.

. BRICK MACHINE.

(No Model.)

I l ll Lilli- WI T/VESSES: y w

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEZEKIAH E. LONG, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRICK-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,173, dated May 20,1890.

Application filed February 8, 1890. Serial No. 339,728. (No model.)

Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and- State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Brick-Machines;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of brickmachines wherein a pug-millis used to thoroughly mix the clay and force the same downward into aseries of brick-molds that are caused to pass underneath said pug-mill,receive their quantum of clay, which is subsequently carried frombeneath said pug-mill and deposited on a table, ready to be removedtherefrom and deposited in a kiln for subsequent burning into brick.

The invention that I have made relates to the combination of saidpug-mill with a series of molds formed within a reciprocating tablehaving a series of molds therein, which pass alternately underneath thepug-mill, and then outward over a reciprocating table whereon the bricksare forced from the molds downward and deposited onto said reciprocatingtable by the means and in the manner hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of my specification,Figure 1 represents an end view of my complete brick-making machine.Fig. 2 is a front elevation ,of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4is a longitudinal vertical section through the pugmill and some of itsadjacent parts. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the camused in driving or imparting motion to the brick-molds, thereciprocating table, and the means employed for forcing the bricks fromsaid molds onto said table. Fig. 6 is an edge View of said cam. Fig. 7represents the gear mechanism used for imparting motion to thebrick-molds and reciprocating table. Fig. 8 is an end view of the samehaving a portion of the table and reciprocating mold attached thereto.Fig. 9 is a top view of the molds. Fig. 10 is an edge view of the same.

To put my invention into practice I prepare a substantial frame 1,sufficiently strong to sustain without vibration the active moving partsof the machine; and upon this frame is erected in a vertical position ahollow cylinder 2, held to the frame by means of a stout circumferentialband 3, which will admit of the adjustment of the cylinder up and down.The interior sides of this cylinder 2 are provided ith a number ofinward projections 4, or otherwise roughened for the purposeshereinafter mentioned. Centrally located within this cylinder isarranged a vertical shaft 5, having affixed thereto a series of blades6, arranged around said shaft in a spiral form. The upper portion ofthis shaft above the cylinder is supported in a suitable bearing '7,making part of the frame, and at a point above said bearing thisscrew-shaft is provided with a beveled-toothed wheel 8, that engages asimilar wheel 9 on the end of a top horizontal shaft 10, arranged at aright angle to that in the cylinder, which also has suitable bearings inthe frame. The outward end of this shaft 10 is provided with a suitabledrum or pulley 11, by which power may be applied to the moving parts ofthe machine by means of a belt or otherwise. This horizontal shaft 10 isalso provided between its bearings with a beveled-toothed wheel 12, thatengages with a correspondingly-toothed wheel 13, attached to a shortvertical shaft 14, also secured in suitable bearings. To the lower endof this short shaft is affixed a small bevel-wheel 15, that in turnengages with the larger Wheel 16 on a horizontal shaft 17, and to theinner end of this horizontal shaft 17 is attached by suitable means alarge cam 18, which is so formed that in its revolution it will act onthe tablet 19, wherein the molds 20 are formed, and cause it to travelin a horizontal plane immediately underneath the cylinder 2, first inone direction and then in the other, whereby the molds in one end of thetablet 19 are carried underneath the cylinder 2 to be filled, then in anoutward direction, while the molds in the other end of the tablet areunderneath the cylinder, each in turn being carried underneath thecylinder, and then outside of said cylinder by the action of the cam. Aprojection il, alfixcd to the edge and near each end of said tablet it),constitutes thebearing-points upon which the cam acts to cause thetablet to move back and forth at each revolution thereof. This tablet,wherein are formed the molds 20, slides upon a fixed or stationary plate22, which is solid or imperforate in that portion ilnn'iediatelyunderneath the cylinder, but has rectangular openings 23 through it,each equal in size to the entire area of the molds in that end of themold-tablet. At a distance below this stationaryplate 22 a littlegreater than the thickness of a brick is arranged so as to operate inthe same direction of the molds, but with a greater length of stroke, alongitudinallyreciprocating plain table 2%, and by means of brackets 25,projecting from one edge thereof, is affixed a long rack 26, with itsteeth extending upward, and to the moldtablct if] is allixed a shorterand similar rack 27, with its teeth projectin downward. This shorterrack 27 engages with a toothed wheel or pinion 2S, integral with oraliixed thereto, or making part of a larger toothed wheel 29, engagingwith a rack 26 of the reciprocating table 24, whereby the table is givena greater degree of speed and length of stroke, both forward andbackward, in the direction of its length, and these toothed wheels aresupported by and revolve around a stationary journal affixed in a solidupright portion on the frame. The cam 1S, that imparts motion to themold-tablet 1!) and the table 2-1, is so shaped as that it moves themolds and the table slowly underneath the upright cylinder to the end oftheir stroke. cam describes a regular circle drawn from the center ofthe shaft to which it is affixed, which enables and causes the molds andtables to remain stationary during a completion of the movement of thecam 18 in that direction. Above a point at which the molds 2O arrive andremain stationary is arranged and a'llixed a series of vertically-movingrectangular blocks 31, corresponding to and each of the exact shape ofthe respective mold it is intended to pass downward into during atemporary inaction of the molds. These sev eral blocks 31 are forceddownward each into its respective mold on one side by means of a pin 32on the cam 18 acting against one end of a lever 83, attached to avertical slide 34-, provided with an arm 35, carrying said blocks, andthe opposite molds in the other end of the table are in like mannercarried down at the proper time into their respective molds by means ofa similar lever 36, acted upon by the pin of the cam 18 in a reversedirection. After the pin 3 on the cam 18 has passed one of the levers,and while the molds remain stationary, the blocks are immediately drawnup and freed from the molds by means of a cord or chain 37, passing overa pulley 38 by the action of a Weight At this point the 3!), attached tothe opposite end of this cord or chain. A spout or chute 4.0 is attachedto and extends outwardly from the upper end of the main cylinder.

The several parts of my improved brick machine having beenconstructed,arranged, and combined with respect to each other as shownand described, the operation is as follows: On motion being imparted tothe machine by suitable means, clayon being placed in tl )SllOtIl; orchute will descend immediately into the open-ended upright cylinder,where it will be caught by the spirally-arranged blades on the verticalshaft therein and forced downward with considerable pressure, a rotationof the clay within the cylinder being prevented by the projections onits inner wall. The mixed clay on arriving at the bottom of the cylinderrests directly upon the mold-tablet, and as each series of molds isalternately drawn underneath the cylinder they become completely filledwith clay under pressure of the great screw within the cylinder. Thatinstant the filled molds are carried outward by the action of the camimmediately over that portion of the plain table ready to receive them,where they are held in abeyance by the regular portion of the cam untilby coming in contact with the lever it draws down the blocks at that endof the machine and forces the severally new-made bricks therein out ofthe molds onto the table beneath. During this time the other molds arebeing filled with clay. As soon as thebricks are relieved from the moldsthe pin on the cam passes the lever and enables the weight to withdrawthe plunger or blocks from the molds, thereby releasing the same. Thecam by this time has so far revolved as to act on the projection on theopposite end of the tablet and cause the filled molds to pass outwardfrom underneath the cylinder and bring the empty molds into place forbeing filled, and thus the separate sets of molds are alternately filledand discharged onto the table at each revolution of the cam, ready to becarried away, dried, and burned, after the manner used by brick-makersgenerally. The bricks made by this machine have their edges and endsslick and made smooth by the o ')eration of forcing the clay into themolds. The upper surface of the brick is also made smooth by passingfrom underneath the edge of the cylinder, and the bottom side of thebrick is in like manner made smooth by beingforced or drawn along thesolid portion of the plate upon which the tablet or molds restpreparatory to being discharged onto the table beneath, whereby asharp-cornered brick having a smooth surface is produced in a rapid andellicient manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationof a pug-mill, as described, with a reciprocating tablet provided with aseries of molds that alternately pass underneath said mill, so as to befilled with clay and carried outward for the discharge thereof, astationary plate upon which said molds rest and form a bottom thereto,two openings in said plate, through which the bricks are discharged whenthe molds are opposite them, a reciprocating table arranged a shortdistance below said plate, a rack attached to the table, an invertedrack attached to the mold-table, a small gear-wheel operating inconnection with the rack on themoldtablet, and a larger gear-wheeloperating the rack of the receiving-table, a cam constructed to rotateand give requisite movement to the mold-tablet and reciprocating table,a series of plungers having a vertical movement to discharge brick fromthe molds onto the reciprocating table, and a weight connected to saidplungers by means of a chain or cord to withdraw them from the molds atthe proper time.

2. The combination of a pug-mill, as described, with a reciprocatingtablet provided with a series of molds that alternately pass underneathsaid pug-mill, a stationary plate for supporting said molds, a table, atoothed rack attached to said table, atoothed rack attached to saidmold-tablet, and the intermediate gear-wheels by which the mold-tabletand the table are given motion in opposite directions with a differentlength of stroke and different degree of speed.

3. The combination of a pug-mill, as described,witl1 a series ofreciprocating molds arranged underneath said mill, so as to be filledwith clay and carried outward for the discharge thereof, a stationaryplate upon which said molds rest and form a bottom thereto,

two openings through said plate, through which the bricks are dischargedwhen the molds are opposite them, a reciprocating table arranged a shortdistance below said plate, a rack attached to the table, an invertedrack attached to the mold-tablet, a small gear-wheel operating inconnection with the rack on the mold-tablet, a larger gear-wheelintegral with the first operating the rack of the receiving-table, and acam constructed to rotate and give requisite movement to the mold-tabletand by intermediate gearing to the recipro-- eating table.

4. The combination of a pug-mill, as described,with a series ofreciprocating molds arranged underneath said mill to be alternatelyfilled with clay, a stationary plate forming a bottom to said molds, twoopenings through said plate, through which the bricks are dischargedonto the reciprocating table, a rack attached to said table, an invertedrack attached to the mold-tablet, intermediate gearwheels for operatingthe same, a series of plungers for forcing the brick out of themold by adownward action, a rotating cam for forcing the plungers downward intotheir respective molds, a shaft for driving said cam, and intermediatebevel-gearing connecting it to the main shaft used in operating'thevertical shaft in the pug-mill cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my'hand this 6th day ofFebruary,A.D.1890.

HEZEKIAH E. LONG.

l/Vitnesses:

A. O. JOHNSTON, WM. METOHEN.

